ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F), on Monday announced that the alliance of religio-political parties would soon call a multi-party conference (MPC) against what he described as the rising influence of Ahmadis in Pakistan and to discuss the merits of the government’s madressah reform agenda.

A meeting of the MMA was held at the residence of Mian Aslam, deputy emir of the Jamaat-i-Islami, where the leaders also spoke against the continued interest-based economic system in the country and demanded an end to it.

Later talking to media, the Maulana said that there were three main threats to the country after the elections. “The Islamic republic is faced with threats of growing influence of Qadianiat , there is an urgent need to protect the ideology of the finality of the Prophethood and the religious leadership is suspicious of the government’s intentions under the garb of madressah reforms.” He announced that the MMA would soon hold an MPC over these three issues.

He was critical of the government saying that those claiming to seek idealism from the state of Madina were involving Ahmadis in the affairs of the country. He also faulted the government for taking steps that were leading to inflation, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan had ignored the Kashmir issue in all of his key addresses and was mishandling CPEC projects to the annoyance of the Chinese leadership.

When Maulana Fazl was asked about the removal of his brother Ziaur Rehman as commissioner of Afghan refugees, he replied it was not a political issue as his brother was a government employee and transfers and postings were part of the job.

The meeting was attended by Liaquat Baloch of the JI, Pir Ijaz Hashmi and Awais Noorani of Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (Noorani) and Zahid Akhunzada of the Shia Ulema Council.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2018